"Why do you want to become a teacher?” This question has been asked to me many times over the past two and a half years. The truth is that I do not have one set answer for this question. There have been many things along the way that have influenced me – everything from awesome teachers that have taught me in the past to a love of children. Becoming a teacher just seems like the perfect fit for me.
It is my personal belief, however, that there is an even bigger question that needs to be asked and answered, “What kind of a teacher do you want to become?” This is a question with a simple answer. I want to become the teacher that all of the students can trust, admire, and ultimately learn from. I feel that one of the most important things in any classroom is the student – teacher relationship. Students want to see that their teacher is a hard worker who cares for their needs; they want someone that they can trust. Show your students that you care about the lessons you are teaching them. The best example of this comes in the brilliant book The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. She gets her students motivated to read by reading herself. She openly admits to her students all of the books that she is reading outside of the classroom, and learns about the students’ outside reading through weekly letters that the students write to her, thus blending the joys of both reading and writing.
Another important element in creating a well rounded classroom is giving the students the right to choose. Allowing the students to have the control over their own learning puts the power and motivation in their own hands. I am a firm believer that students should be allowed to make decisions in the classroom – for example, what book they want to read during independent reading time. When children take control over their own education, I believe that they are more likely to succeed.
"Why do you want to become a teacher?” This question has been asked to me many times over the past two and a half years. The truth is that I do not have one set answer for this question. There have been many things along the way that have influenced me – everything from awesome teachers that have taught me in the past to a love of children. Becoming a teacher just seems like the perfect fit for me.It is my personal belief, however, that there is an even bigger question that needs to be asked and answered, “What kind of a teacher do you want to become?” This is a question with a simple answer. I want to become the teacher that all of the students can trust, admire, and ultimately learn from. I feel that one of the most important things in any classroom is the student – teacher relationship. Students want to see that their teacher is a hard worker who cares for their needs; they want someone that they can trust. Show your students that you care about the lessons you are teaching them. The best example of this comes in the brilliant book The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. She gets her students motivated to read by reading herself. She openly admits to her students all of the books that she is reading outside of the classroom, and learns about the students’ outside reading through weekly letters that the students write to her, thus blending the joys of both reading and writing.
Another important element in creating a well rounded classroom is giving the students the right to choose. Allowing the students to have the control over their own learning puts the power and motivation in their own hands. I am a firm believer that students should be allowed to make decisions in the classroom – for example, what book they want to read during independent reading time. When children take control over their own education, I believe that they are more likely to succeed.